Bookstore, he made a U-turn, squealing his tires as he did. If anything had happened to Jilly after he’d left her there…
He shuddered. He couldn’t bring himself to consider the possibility.
Speeding all the way, he pulled into the lot at Mind’s Eye the same time as a marked unit.
Deputy Erik Fowler got out of his patrol car way too slowly for Zander’s comfort.
Zander was ahead of him at the door in a second. “Search around back. I’ll check on the caller.”
“Yes, sir.” The officer turned on his flashlight as he headed for the side of the building.
Jilly appeared behind the glass. Thank God. Zander wiped the sweat from his forehead. Her pallor tore at his gut. Why hadn’t he trusted his instincts and stayed with her?
She unlocked the door and the instant he opened it, she practically jumped into his arms.
He held her tight, smoothed his hand over her hair. “It’s okay, I’m here.” He kissed the top of her head.
She remained quiet, pressed against his chest, trembling.
Which destroyed him. Murmuring reassurances, he led her inside. The place was dark save for the lighted exit signs and the flicker of a candle spilling from the back room. He sat her in a chair and noticed for the first time that she had a pocket knife in her hand. He tipped his chin at it. “Want to give me that?”
She let out a sigh and handed it to him.
He flipped on the light switch on the wall. “Want to tell me what happened?”
She hugged her arms around her body. He yearned to hold her, comfort her, but he had to get information first. “Did you see anyone?”
“I was doing a reading on myself when I heard glass shatter. Well, I knew something was going to happen a moment before it did.” Her eyes glistened. She didn’t say anything for a minute and he recognized that she was trying to hold it together.
He squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. Take your time.”
She gave him a half nod. “I went for my purse to call the police and I saw a shadow. He was right outside my door. Right there.” She gestured toward the small room where she did readings.
A chill snaked up his spine. Anything could have happened to her. “Go on.”
“I remembered the second keypad to the security system. My boss, Eloise showed it to me once. It’s in the closet in my room. I locked myself inside and hit the panic button.” She wiped a hand over her face. “He must have left the way he came as soon as the siren went off. I shut off the alarm when I saw the flashing lights out the back window.”
The front door opened. “Detective Parsons?” Deputy Fowler glanced around the room as he covered the distance between them. “There’s a broken window around the side of the building.”
“Do me a favor and call the on-duty Crime Scene tech.”
The officer blinked. “Um, okay.”
“Thanks, Erik.”
The deputy gestured at Jilly. “Need the EMTs?”
“I think she’ll be okay.”
Jilly nodded her agreement.
“Find any tracks outside?” He prayed they’d catch the burglar but since the officer stood there without a suspect in tow, he doubted they would.
The deputy shifted his gaze back and forth between Zander and Jilly. “No, sir. Nothing visible. Did he come inside?” Fowler asked Jilly.
“Looks like it.”
“Check for footprints where he broke in.” Zander didn’t want to leave Jilly’s side.
“I think he came in through the storage room.” She pointed to an open door in the back left corner of the shop.
The officer headed in that direction. “There’s some dirt on the floor, sir. Maybe the CS tech can get a print or two,” he shouted.
“I hope so.”
The crime scene van showed up about the same time as the owner of the store, the older blond woman Zander had first spoken to the day he’d met Jilly. While the tech worked, Zander took down Jilly’s official statement and Deputy Fowler helped the owner nail a board over the broken window.
By the time everyone was finished, the ordeal was
He shuddered. He couldn’t bring himself to consider the possibility.
Speeding all the way, he pulled into the lot at Mind’s Eye the same time as a marked unit.
Deputy Erik Fowler got out of his patrol car way too slowly for Zander’s comfort.
Zander was ahead of him at the door in a second. “Search around back. I’ll check on the caller.”
“Yes, sir.” The officer turned on his flashlight as he headed for the side of the building.
Jilly appeared behind the glass. Thank God. Zander wiped the sweat from his forehead. Her pallor tore at his gut. Why hadn’t he trusted his instincts and stayed with her?
She unlocked the door and the instant he opened it, she practically jumped into his arms.
He held her tight, smoothed his hand over her hair. “It’s okay, I’m here.” He kissed the top of her head.
She remained quiet, pressed against his chest, trembling.
Which destroyed him. Murmuring reassurances, he led her inside. The place was dark save for the lighted exit signs and the flicker of a candle spilling from the back room. He sat her in a chair and noticed for the first time that she had a pocket knife in her hand. He tipped his chin at it. “Want to give me that?”
She let out a sigh and handed it to him.
He flipped on the light switch on the wall. “Want to tell me what happened?”
She hugged her arms around her body. He yearned to hold her, comfort her, but he had to get information first. “Did you see anyone?”
“I was doing a reading on myself when I heard glass shatter. Well, I knew something was going to happen a moment before it did.” Her eyes glistened. She didn’t say anything for a minute and he recognized that she was trying to hold it together.
He squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. Take your time.”
She gave him a half nod. “I went for my purse to call the police and I saw a shadow. He was right outside my door. Right there.” She gestured toward the small room where she did readings.
A chill snaked up his spine. Anything could have happened to her. “Go on.”
“I remembered the second keypad to the security system. My boss, Eloise showed it to me once. It’s in the closet in my room. I locked myself inside and hit the panic button.” She wiped a hand over her face. “He must have left the way he came as soon as the siren went off. I shut off the alarm when I saw the flashing lights out the back window.”
The front door opened. “Detective Parsons?” Deputy Fowler glanced around the room as he covered the distance between them. “There’s a broken window around the side of the building.”
“Do me a favor and call the on-duty Crime Scene tech.”
The officer blinked. “Um, okay.”
“Thanks, Erik.”
The deputy gestured at Jilly. “Need the EMTs?”
“I think she’ll be okay.”
Jilly nodded her agreement.
“Find any tracks outside?” He prayed they’d catch the burglar but since the officer stood there without a suspect in tow, he doubted they would.
The deputy shifted his gaze back and forth between Zander and Jilly. “No, sir. Nothing visible. Did he come inside?” Fowler asked Jilly.
“Looks like it.”
“Check for footprints where he broke in.” Zander didn’t want to leave Jilly’s side.
“I think he came in through the storage room.” She pointed to an open door in the back left corner of the shop.
The officer headed in that direction. “There’s some dirt on the floor, sir. Maybe the CS tech can get a print or two,” he shouted.
“I hope so.”
The crime scene van showed up about the same time as the owner of the store, the older blond woman Zander had first spoken to the day he’d met Jilly. While the tech worked, Zander took down Jilly’s official statement and Deputy Fowler helped the owner nail a board over the broken window.
By the time everyone was finished, the ordeal was
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